Take The Pain Away
by Imagination'sRain
Summary: Directly after the opera, Shilo breaks down in an alleyway from the trauma and losses of her loved ones. What happens when the friendly neighborhood Graverobber takes her with him during her breakdown? GriLo
1. Chapter 1

You know, when you've got nothing left in the world that had nothing to begin with, there really isn't much left, is there? I mean there are drug addicts and houses and ruined flesh in the streets, but nothing left to do or to look to for hope. The days are bleak, the nights are streaked with a glimmering shadow, and even the bugs who stalk the grounds aren't chipper enough to scuttle by your toes. Being in a bedroom for 17 years hadn't been so bad. But since the opera, it was unbearable. My father and godmother and every chance I had ever had of being someone worth something to had disappeared in one night. Last night. Not even an hour ago. What could I do? I ran for the alleyway nearest the building and collapsed into tears. Cascading, salty drops colliding with the cracked stone pavement they flitted; each one creating a tiny stain before disappearing into nothingness. There's the other thing I wouldn't get back besides my father's life. The tears suddenly mean another loss and hurt me even more. I have nothing now, no home, no family and most probably, no friends.

"Kid, is that you?" a deep voice caved in through my tears, but I couldn't bring myself to stop or look up; only have the repeating scene of my father's death replay again and again in my head. "Kid?" the voice called again. Before I know it, I feel the warmth of another's body holding mine entirely. I was being cradled and caressed gently. My mind was blank as the scents of death, sin and sex swelled up into my nostrils and registered no meaning as I was carried somewhere. My eyes were squeezed shut with tears and my hands were balled up into fists in my face. It was all over. Whoever this gentle person was, they were taking me somewhere. Maybe they would end my pain for me, end _me_. Yes, I could join my family. My family was all waiting for me. But I'm too scared and cowardly to end it just yet. I wanted to live, but not without company or a helping hand with this outside world. I'd lived in a bedroom for 17 years, and been poisoned by my now deceased father. All other family I had, had been wiped out in the same night.

"Just stay here for a minute. I'll be right back." The voice soothed again and I was set down on something rather soft, worn and lumpy from what I could feel and the scent of decay enflamed my nose, but yet again I say nothing and continue to weep these meaningless tears. The voice comes back and I am covered with a dank, thick material and once again am covered with the pressure of limbs lifting me into the cradle of another's arms. I'm nuzzled and hugged and my back is rubbed by a huge hand. I bring myself to open my eyes and find the white-ghost like face of the GraveRobber. His eyes are sympathetic blue and there's a hint of a frown across his lips. He had seated me in his lap, his arm wrapped around my knees and the other around my back. In need of physical contact, I threw my arms around his neck and resumed my sobbing against him, seeing a sympathetic smile replace where his usual Cheshire Cat grin would be. He is murmuring soft comforts in my ear with his husky dark voice and holding me against him. I didn't think he was capable of doing this for people. He ended the pains of others with drugs from the rotting corpses under stones, and when he did so he wasn't cheerful and sweet about it. He got the money, they got their drug and that was it. So why was he-?

A hand brought me up to his neck and I feel the drug dealer pull me into an embrace and lean me down to lie down on the soft, lumpy thing. My arms are uncurled from around his neck and I grab at myself disgustedly, wishing to tear myself apart and end the pains of loss eating away at me like maggots. The thick blanket he had put on me was then brought to cover me up, but he didn't leave my side. Instead, I felt him lie down on the mass beside me and then pulled me up against him so I could resume weeping there if I wished. He pulled my arms away from their battle and instead wraps his own arms under them in comfort. I never thought of him as the comforting type, but then again I hardly knew him anyway. I'd only met him a couple of times and he was peddling zydrate both times; extracting and dealing it. Zydrate took away pain…maybe he could take away mine. My crying slowed; I was running out of tears. Panicked gasping must be what GraveRobber heard, along with the pathetic sound of my dry crying. My father- no, I mustn't think of my father. That would make my heart ache more for those no longer with me. I try to focus on the warmth of Graverobber's sweet nothings being whispered in my ear and slip into subconscious bliss.


	2. Chapter 2

(This chapter is dedicated to the lovely ConfusedColumbia22620 for her wonderful review and praise. ^_^ )

When I awake, I find myself looking at the still sleeping face of GraveRobber pressed against my chest and my hands have looped themselves into his tawny and multiple shades of pastel hair. My arms are pressing him to me and my head is right against his neck. I blink awkwardly at the sleeping drug-peddler, not used to this in the slightest and do my best not to wake him as I pull off my wig and scratch at my scalp. He groans in his sleep before his eyelids flutter and he blinks sleepily awake into the fabrics of my chest. I don't have a chance to slip my wig back on before he looks up at me drowsily, his eyes widened.

"Morning, kid." He grunts, situating himself more comfortably against me to my surprise. I hadn't spoken since the opera and it took a minute for me to form words. After a second though, I murmur a greeting to him as well, my voice hoarse, raspy and dry. He takes notice of this and pulls one of many bags of tools from his side; pulling out a dirt crusted thermos and shoves it into my hands. Warm as it was, inside is what looks like water which I gulp down thirstily and then try to speak again.

"Why'd you bring me with you?"

"Kid, you were crying in the middle of an alleyway. GENECops would've gotcha and I don't think that would be a good decoration for my shop." He mutters as he snuggles into my breasts. "I can't say though that I am not rather comfortable here." His Cheshire Cat grin returns as I whack the back of his head and roll my eyes. Hes a real doofus that's for sure. After managing to get him to cease protesting, I coax him away from my chest and onto my lap. Still physically touching me, but at least it was an improvement. "How're you feeling, kid?"

"A bit better I guess…" I mumble. How does he think I'm feeling? Sure I'm not sobbing my eyes out any- eyes. Out. Tears spring to my eyes at the thought of Mag and they aren't unnoticed by the laying drug dealer.

"Aww, why the waterworks again?" there's no way he can't know. But seeing as it was only last night it had happened and he'd slept at my side the whole night I realize he couldn't have known. Struggling to speak through my tears I finally manage to choke it out.

"…..m-my dad and godmother...-sob-…both were k-k-killed la-" I fight to stifle my sobs but the tears continued to flow and I can no longer form words to pass through my lips. GraveRobber's eyes widen momentarily before he reaches one enormous hand to my face and tries to brush the tears away from my eyes. His hand is warm and encrusted with dirt, but I can't care less as he apologizes under his breath and sits himself up and puts his arms on my shoulders.

"I mean…shit kid. I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now." He softly coos to me as I clutch onto his hand and try to keep it there. He reminds me of how I used to act around my father when I had gotten a particularly bad scratch from a dissecting tool while organizing my bug collection. I can't bear to think what has become of that house or what resides in it as I sit here in this dumpster with my only friend. I become comfortable against GraveRobber as I try to calm myself and stop the tears from gushing and blurring my sight. Only then do I realize that the mounds of trash aren't as repulsive as thought to be, and surely are more comfortable than they appear. I understand how he can live like this. Its safe, its cozy, and with the layers of clothes he wears he is no doubt warm. But the blissful silence isn't to last when a hard pounding sounds off the lid of the metal box. With an agitated sigh, he excuses himself for a moment and lifts the top slightly.

"What do you want?" He grumpily addresses whomever it was that was crying out to him outside. I sit on the trash and poke around in it, and find nothing of any interest. GraveRobber glances down at me for a moment before muttering something I couldn't hear to the person outside and stepping out. "I'll be back in a second, kid."

I blink in curiosity and wonder what it is he is doing before shrugging and looking down at my watch. Only noon. I wonder what Amber has done to GENECo in this amount time. The lid opened and an arm reached down to me.

"Come on, kid. We've gotta keep moving or we'll get caught." I grab the hand and without warning am pulled straight out of the dumpster and into his clutches. His lips accidently bump mine as I slide down to the floor; he looks at me before breaking out into his usual larger-than-life grin. I flush involuntarily and look around at the ruins the steel container had been placed in the middle of.

"What is this place?" I ask, not recodnizing the sight before me.

"Its the remnants of the household where my parents lived." Graverobber's voice lowly sighs and places a hand on my left shoulder. "Believe it or not kid, I have a heart. I think seeing you at your mom's grave reminded me that I never really talk to my parents. Hell, I haven't been here since I was four. I'm 29, kid. Thats a hell of a long time."


	3. Chapter 3

Repo! Is NOT mine! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this fic/added me to your story alerts/ added me to your favorite authors list! This chapter goes out to all of you!

"You mean...you lived here when you were younger?" Iwondrously looked around and began dig through the rubble in search of what may be left from the house.

"Yeah. And don't bother trying to find anything, it's probably all been taken and sold by the people who blew it up after my parent's organs were repossessed." Graverobber stops me with a hand to my shoulder again. "I just took you to this dumpster because I thought it might be nice for my parents to have a chance to see that I'm still alive and I have a little company." He chuckles good-naturedly and helps to guide me through the rocks, wood and glass jutting out in all directions from the massive heap of debris.

"So your parents' organs were repossessed when you were little?" I curve to avoid a small boulder as he leads me through the wreckage.

"Very little. When I was almost 3. I had no other family, so I wandered the streets aimlessly and lived off trash. Nothing ever really happened except for the year I turned 15. That's the year I met Amber Largo." He cringes mid-sentence at the thought "Little seven-year-old Amber already had one scar by the time I came across her. She was so _innocent_ then." I have a hard time picturing her as little, innocent and seven; seeing as she now practically owned the world at the age of twenty one. It wasn't until he had started mentioning ages that I start to feel really young.** "**But anyway, who the fuck cares? Not like it matters about my shitty childhood."

"What's with that face?" he chuckles lowly as I snap back out of thought. I smile slyly up at him and begin to list off questions; just because I know he'll have to answer me eventually**.**

"Do you miss your parents? When is your birthday? When did you start calling Amber 'bitch' or is she _your_ bitch? How many vials of Zydrate have you sold? What was the first dumpster you lived in? Have you ever been to an opera? How old were you when you lost your virginity? Is sex painful? What does it feel like? Have you ever injected yourself with zydrate? When-?" his hand clamps over my mouth and his booming laughter echoes on the rubble.

"How about this kid, I'll answer any questions you may have when I take you home, okay? You're not allowed to be alone anymore seeing as not everyone is going to _love_ your decision to not take over GENECo. People still think you shoulda taken over instead of one of the Largo flock." Graverobber sternly tells me, a sudden authoritive tone in his voice. I blink.

"How do you know that?" Hes starting to sound more and more like my guardian than my friend.

He doesn't answer my question but simply moves forward**.** "Come on." He gruffly mutters to me and pushes aside a rather large slab of rock to reveal tunnels that reminded me of those leading to my mother's grave and I silently crawl into it without a question. I hear his boots slide in behind me in the darkness of the cave. He pulls the stone over and the cave becomes so dark that when I open and close my eyes there isn't a difference in the lighting.

"U-uh." I always grew nervous in the dark, I remember dad always had to leave a light on before I went to sleep.

"Whats wrong, kid?" Graverobber takes my hand and leads me through the tunnels. And at that moment,**it. ** I'm grateful its dark because I feel my face heat up considerably. Why it was doing this, I'm not sure. In another moment, an opal blue illuminates the cavern dully, like an insect out of one of my entomology books, as the little glass vial was handed to me. "Your hand is shaking. You're scared of the dark?" he teases me playfully as I turn over the miniscule light-source. I hold it up to Graverobber's face, only to find he looks a bit more frightening in the dim lighting than out in the clean white moon's rays. He smirks regularly, but in the darkness it seems almost demonic and his eyes glisten with the pale sapphire. I blink cautiously and say nothing for a little while until he resumes tugging me along the cavern. Noticing dirt-encrusted bones every couple of feet, I scoot closer to him and struggle not to look at them and instead choose to place my focus on how pretty the 21st century cure is in my fingertips. I've seen Zydrate before but I don't remember it being so…pretty. I no longer understand why people wanted it in their bloodstreams when its such a beautiful thing to look at. Out of nowhere, I'm pulled up to his side instead of tagging behind and his arm wraps around my shoulders. The scents of Graverobber and the scents of the decaying flesh in the cave whirl and crash into my nostrils and my eyes nearly start to water with the intensity of it.

"Kid, you there?" he waves a hand in front of my face just as I answer him with a yes under my breath. "You know, its been a long time since I just talked without someone begging me for zydrate. Never had any real company like this."

"I've never had anyone to talk to except my dad…and now...now I don't even have him anymore." It took a lot for me to not burst into tears then and there, but I needed a sense of knowing someone was with me so instead I slunk my arm around his waist because his shoulders, as someone would be able to tell from the differences in height, were much too high up for me. I see him smile in the shadows and my face starts to become warm again.

"Well kid, looks like we've got something in common there then."

"Why do you never call me by my name?"

"Because kid is easier for me to remember. Plus I've known you as kid forever so its gotten to be a shitty habit." He sighs quietly and then looks down at me. "You're face got a bit darker just then. You sick or something, kid?"

"N-No I think you're just seeing things. It is a bit dark down here. Maybe its because of the lighting."

"Did you just stutter?"

"No…" I mumble hopefully. _'Maybe he'll believe me. Or he'll forget! Yes! He'll forget!'_ A second after that thought was created, I'm pushed against one of the rocky walls of the cavern and the little glass vial is plucked from my grasp. Instead, it's held beside my face and my wrists are pinned above my head. Graverobber's face is a couple of inches away from mine a moment later, looking curiously at me with a slight frown toying with the corners of his lips. The pressure of him against me scratches my back against the rocks but I try and stay quiet. Rocks, stop pinching me. That hurts.

"You're a rotten liar." He says one moment, and the next, he has connected our lips together.


	4. As Promised

Since there were reviews, as promised, heres the chapter. Enjoy!

My eyes nearly pop out of my head, startled considerably, I try to fight against him but to no avail. In an urge to try and catch his attention, I wriggle against the rocks and earn several a scratch on my shoulder in return. I cry out and accidently open my lips to his mercy; my wail reduced to a muffle. I feel the heat and lubrication of his tongue pushing through and separating my teeth; licking against them before brushing up against the roof of my mouth. I shiver for a moment and then I do nothing, hoping he would realize I didn't want this. After a second, only one of his hands are pinning my wrists above me and the other is tracing downward ;but as soon as it grazed against my bleeding shoulder it stopped and Graverobber pulled away with a smirk.

"Just what the hell was that?!" I hiss, leaping away from the wall at once and glaring up at him. All he does is chuckle and start rummaging through his bag, only to withdraw a thick strap of fabric and look at the scratch for a second.

"Sit down, kid. Gotta bandage that up before it gets infected." He glows in the illumination of the Zydrate holster which he has placed on the floor and waves for me to sit down beside him. Reluctantly I do and one of the enormous hands delicately grazes against my shoulder blade and GraveRobber sighs. "Kid, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but you're going to have to take that dress off."

My eyes widen and protectively I clutch over myself. "You _pervert!_" I shriek and twist away, the mitt-like hand getting jostled and lands onto the scratch. I cry out in pain and stop writhing. He shakes his head and moves his hand away from it.

"Kid, that scratch isn't exactly small nor shallow. In order to take care of it properly, you're gonna have to take off that dress." He gets up, takes off his grave-coat and hands it to me gruffly muttering I could cover myself up with it. My arms nearly dislocate from the weight of the enormous leather coat, but it would have to do. With the strength I have, I maneuver the jacket so it covers me entirely and slip the dress off; doing the best I can not for it to touch the scratch. Graverobber was watching which made me a bit nervous and immediately after I have slipped it off, I wrap the bottom around my lower half and press the inside of the jacket to my breasts so that the rest dangles down in front of my stomach; only leaving the back of my upper torso exposed, but with about half of the jacket remaining unfilled.

'_Compared to GraveRobber I must be miniature' _I think silently as he steps behind my curled up body and I hear his knees hit the dirt filled floor. "Don't try to pull anything, I'll feel it if you do." I mutter. That was partially true. I would feel it. Especially with the scratch I would feel if he was trying to molest me. All I hear him say is a quiet murmur to himself that he was a man and that men have needs.

'_He will have to satisfy his needs elsewhere'_ I think disgustedly as I hear him taking off his gloves and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. The cave is considerably warm but the heat only increases when I feel one of his enormous hands against my spine and the other starts to dab at the now stinging scrape with a moist sort of fabric.

"Shit, Shilo, you scratched it up pretty good." He whistles as I start to growl quietly.

"Not my fault you kissed me against my will! How else could I have tried to- wait, you called me Shilo." I drawl and then snap into realization. He actually _knew _my name. Why didn't he call me it more often?

"That is your name, kid." He chuckles in my ear before I feel something thick and dry starting to be wrapped under my arm and around my shoulder and back. I bite my lip to keep from howling in the annoying pain; like having a rock thrown at you by a small child or having your finger crushed in a door. I feel the fabrics tighten slightly for a second before GraveRobber's surprisingly gentle hands pull away.

"Alright, that should do it." He says plainly and I pull my dress back over to me, but I feel him wrap his arms around where my waist would be were it not covered in the jacket of mysterious origin. He rests his head on my other shoulder for a moment as if questioning something; as though he got an answer retracts himself and then, not unkindly, says, "I'm sorry you got hurt". I flick my eyes to him for a moment, slide my dress back to its appropriate level and stand. He stands after me and scoops the Zydrate holster up from the ground, plucking a single vial out to light my way and shoving the rest in one of the large pockets of his pants. Graverobber looks over me for a minute and puts the grave-coat around my shoulders with the sleeves dangling down.

"It's a bit chilly down here." He explains softly as I look up at him. "Come on, its just a bit further now." He chuckles good-naturedly and pulls me along by the hand once more, only to the dead end of the tunnel. I blink and then frown.

"I thought you said the tunnel lead to the house."

"It does."

"How do I get out?"

"Easy."

"You know that doesn't tell me much."

GraveRobber booms laughter again and pushes aside a rock above which came out rather easily and looked quite precisely cut.

"Alright, kid, up you go!" without question or pause I'm practically thrown up through the gap and land on a parchment-colored tiled room. I land hard on my rump before scooting out of the way so GraveRobber could follow and shortly after I do, he crawls up behind me. As soon as he does so, I let my eyes wander around the room; a bit scared of the sights before me. There were glass jars along shelves across the top of the room, a table with chains standing at an angle, a silver wheel with various blades, a desk in the corner, and a sink with a record player and empty wire coat hanger beside it. Frightened by this, I scoot closer to the GraveRobber and stick to his side, looking behind him nervously only to find more horrible things of various sizes and purposes.

"Wh-What is this place?!" I shriek involuntarily and cringe at the sight before me.

"Your dad really did live a double life…" He muttered to himself, looking about with the slightest gleams of interest in the orbs of sapphire. "It's a…well, Repo Room, kid." My fright melted into fury and frustration.

'_He really DID lie to me all of his life! How can my dad have done this to me!? My WHOLE FUCKING LIFE he lied to me!' _ Unable to stop myself, I stood and stomped over to the desk to find the transparent sheet of the Repo Man contract. The moment I read "Nathan Wallace" I wanted to distract myself. I wanted out. I couldn't take this anymore. Along the bottom he had written in the 'relatives' health' line he had written "Shilo Wallace; blood disease: septic myntophili" along with some very convincing symptoms. I slipped my hand under my wig to itch at my scalp as GraveRobber thudded around the room, looking at the organs on the walls.

"BLOOD PRESSURE WARNING! BLOOD PRESSURE WARNING! BEEP BEEP BEEP!" my wrist screamed at me. Why it chose to go off now was beyond me. But regardless, I did start to feel dizzy. I ran as fast as I could up the stairwell, but fell down at the third step.

"Shilo!" I felt the huge mitt-like hands catch me, before my world was devoured by the hungriest shadows I'd ever seen in my life.


	5. Chapter 6

"Shes safe and in good hands I guess, but I don t know what to do about her weakness from the medicine. Did you ever think Nathan would put your daughter in medical danger instead of letting her go outside? I just don t know what to do for your daughter, Wallace. Heh, listen to me I m talking to a painting while Shilo s unconscious. Now I know I ve lost my goddamn mind." The voice was speaking softly, almost sweetly, and I knew it didn t realize I was awake. Well, if you could even call it that. I couldn t open my eyes or even move my body at all; it was like being frozen except not so cold. I was actually quite warm.  
"But listen, Wallace. You are her mother, and I do realize it s a bit weird for someone only around ten years behind her father, much less a drug-dealer, to be hanging around your daughter. I just don't know how to deal with the whole poisoned crap, ya get me? She looks a lot like you, I'm guessing her wig was made from your hair, it looks mighty similar. Shit, I gotta stop talking to this fucking painting. Its just a painting, its not gonna answer me." The voice grumbled quietly, "Anyway, Marni, I m gonna go down to my alleyway to collect tonight s cash. I hope shes conscious when I get back." The weight at the foot of the bed disappeared; the thunking sound of the voice s boots pounded on my ears just before I feel the soft gentle presence of lips to my forehead and then he s gone. I tried to pry my eyes open, or get my body to move at all once more with no avail. Despite the warmth of fabrics unknown to me, I felt like stone: solid, lifeless stone. I try to breathe deeply only to have my lungs twitch slightly, but intake no air. I must only be sub-conscious.  
I can't move my body but I can hear and feel my spirit whimpered to rip free; to run, to jump, to fly. After a little while though, the hearing and thoughts fade to nothing. And I begin to dream.

_I was walking in the opera again; the crisp new scents of the building and it's empty seats infatuated my nostrils. The lights were dimmed and the horrifying sights of my dead relatives were all still on stage. The wrinked figure of Rotti Largo appeared about two-feet from me before illuminating into flame and withering into dust. In reaction to fear, I turn and run to the other side of the opera house to find the pale face of the Graverobber in tears; his massive body hunched over and his hands caked with blood.  
"Sh-Shilo help me." he gasped and sputtered up blood with another pained cry. He **never** cried, and the almost burning fright in my veins froze me more than anything. Before I could move another muscle, the man fell over; the most pained expression vivid in his eyes was slowly clouding over into nothing as the pretty zydrate-blue substance flowed from his eyes and chest, forming a pool around him. "BLOOD PRESSURE WARNING! BLOOD PRESSURE WARNING!" my lungs wouldn't work, my legs couldn't support me and the inability to functions ran like ice through my veins. Slowly, the pain of lack of air causes mybody to be come numb and in another moment; I feel myself fall onto the bleeding body of my once friend and my world filled to the brim with the scents and realizations of death._

"Shilo! Wake the fuck up, kid!" Graverobber's blurred face is the first thing I open my eyelids to. His face is panicked and his eyes shine with worry as he leans over the side of the bed and puts his hand to my face. The first thing I notice about myself however is that I can move again, much to my relief.

"Hnn?" I hummed, I couldn't speak; my throat was too dry and felt like tape on my vocal chords.  
"You were out for hours, kid! You've been out long enough for me to deal zydrate all night and come back and you still be out cold. You had me worried for a minute there, kid! Come on, you've gotta get something in your system." he lifts me into his arms, bridal style, and carries me down the stairs. I still feel I'm being a nuisance, so I leaned up and kissed his cheek due to my inability to speak to him. He blinks, looks at me for a second, and then steps on to the ground floor.  
"Alright, kid. Lets get you taken care of." that's when I noticed I was in different clothes than I was before. I frowned.  
'I don't remember changing…' my mind recapped, no memory of switching clothes.  
"I know you're embarrassed now, but you were shivering the whole night and you were covered in blood. I only cleaned you up, I promise I didn't violate you or anything." he mutters to me as my frown deepens and my face heats up.  
"Why do you care?" my voice sounds half demonic. Inhuman; like a screech of a dying animal combined with a hoarse whisper. But he didn't answer this; instead, he sets me down gently in my father's armchair in the hallway.  
"I'll be right back." he softly husks to me before running off back down the hall. I stared up at one of the many portraits of my mother, her blank eyes staring quietly in the static blue hologram.  
"Why did Dad do this to me?"  
"…." the painting answered her.  
"Why does GraveRobber care?"  
"…." she replied.

Now I know what GraveRobber felt like when he thought I was unconscious. In an urge to stop talking to my inanimate company, I sit quietly and feel over my skin. My wig had been removed and the blood that had been dried onto my back had been scrubbed off. Soon, the twanging scents of food invaded my nostrils. I feel my mouth begin to water as I stand up with a sway before falling back into the, thank-goodness-soft armchair and jostling my ankle so I landed with my knees on an armrest and my head at the footrest. I smiled to myself antiquely; I did feel rather silly like this. Carefully, I uncoiled, stood, my feet flat against the cold tile flooring and made my way toward the kitchen; but my voyage was cut short when I bumped into my guest rather forcefully, knocking him down and me landing atop him. I heard him grunt before I open my eyes and stare blankly at the way we were positioned. I'm atop him on the floor, straddling him with my arms on either side of his head; he was partially elevated (he used his hands to break his fall) with legs spread wide. I feel my face ignite white-hot as I realize he is close enough to be breathing over my own lips, noses touching, and I'm practically pinning him to the floor. However, the look in his sapphire-blues was more of a shock to me than anything. He looked…puzzled. And then I realized something, he wasn't wearing his make-up. His skin was fair, smooth and amplified how clear and beautiful his eyes were.  
"Well hey there, kid. I thought I said I'd be right back." he chuckles perversely, his cynical smirk winding into the curves of his face. I gulp nervously and ,despite myself of how wrong it is what I'm doing (nor that I know how he'll react when I do so), I curiously begin to unbutton his shirt to try and see what exactly the chains and ropes looped around his neck held. GraveRobber didn't do a thing to stop me, merely watched as I slipped the collars of his shirt aside and slid my hands down to the several pendants dangling on his chest, lifting an enormous antique-looking dark metal oval into the palm of my hand. There was a ruby stone clutched in the center of the cold object, and a knob at the side of the pendant; however when I reached over to it, the drug peddler's hand stopped me. I look up at him questioningly, but all he does is shake his shaggy head and keeps his lips in a straight line.  
'Some dark secret there, huh?' my mind toyed with the idea in its grasp as I frowned and tried again, but with the same results.  
"Are you ever going to answer my questions?" I query, toying with the rest of the pendants, none as interesting as the locket. He smiles softly and mutters a nonchalant maybe. I start getting up,  
But my hand slips.  
"Waaaah!" I cry out stupidly and GraveRobber falls to the floor, I feel him hit the floor hard. He grunts in pain and I rush to get off of him, but I'm stopped by a mitt-like hand pulling me back onto him. I blink and raise an eyebrow at him. 'What the hell?'


	6. Chapter 7

I see my face reflect cherry in one of the several objects adorning GraveRobber's collarbone before I lift my gaze up to his face to find his eyes closed and his lips expressionless.

"Just…wait a second, okay, kid?" he hushes, bringing me up to his throat and nuzzling against my head. His cool smooth face feels good against my burning skin and I allow him to continue whatever it was he was doing that he required my head.

Wait, that sounded dirty, scratch that.

Whatever he was doing that he needed to nuzzle me for.

He coils his enormous arms around me and whispers nothings into my head, which relaxes me a bit, coaxing my face to cool down. After a few moments, I let my arms unfurl from over my person and allow them to relax as well, comfortably laying on top of him.

"You know…this isn't so bad." I mumbled, nuzzling into the crevice of GraveRobber's neck after about ten minutes. I feel his chest rumble with laughter.

"Thinkin out loud, are we?" he husks darkly and I sense the warm arm hug me gently. Despite anything I may have been thinking at the time, I smiled against him and curled up my feet; getting rather comfortable on my human mattress. However, I wanted revenge for that comment, so I go ahead and press two of my miniscule fingers to his side and clamp down on the skin; pinching it harshly for a second or two. He jumps slightly, jostling me, and I can't help but burst into laughter. Disgruntled, he rolls me over to the side and sits up. GraveRobber's mask-less face seems to glow from the angle I'm at, causing him to look younger and I can't help but stare.

"You alright, kid?" he interrupts as his eyes slither over to mine; he's not happy and he's not sad, more like a little unsettled. I gulp.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I blinked, startled by this glance and yet entirely captivated by it at the same time. What the hell was with me lately? He's years my senior! And still I can't stop myself from leaning up. He merely stares curiously but doesn't move a muscle as I brush my hand against his cheek. He GraveRobber leans closer and closes his eyes. 'Oh god…he thinks I'm going to kiss him.' my thoughts flutter briefly, but before I know what I'm doing, I have taken the initiative and closed the distance.

His lips were cool, dry, and softer than I had remembered. My heart pounded as I looped myself around him; my arms around the nape of his neck, and my legs pushing me upward. Startled and more unsettled by my action however, GraveRobber relaxed his jaw and looped the cold familiar texture of a chain around my throat before pulling away. My eyes open wildly as I see GraveRobber clunking in his boots through the repo room and slamming the fireplace behind him.

I sniffle and look at my neck, where the pendant I had grabbed at before now laid. Nervously I allowed my fingers to twist the knob at the end and clicked open the locket. On the inner edge of the antique metal locket was an engravement that caused my knees to rock and lose balance; slipping me down to the floor.

The engravement read _'GRAVES. TERRANCE AND MARNI 2037.'_


	7. Chapter 8

Chapter 6 ..M Mom? my fingertips grazed over the engraved message before I studied a yellowed photograph enclosed within the locket. There was a young girl with extremely dark hair and almond-shaped eyes, smiling beside a tall young man. The ocean-deep blue eyes immediately struck me, and he was without his makeup, but I barely recognized the man before me. For one, his hair wasn t streaked rainbow, a light tawny-brown color. GraveRobber . I mumbled, looking closer at the faded picture. My mom was in long denim pants and a T-shirt of some kind, Terrance in a beanie, black pants, and a blue color polo. I think the T-shirt had some kind of skull on it, but it was too yellowed to be able to tell. Is this seriously who I just kissed? This guy with his arms around my mother, sitting with her in a tree?  
I stood up and paced my way over to the picture of my mother above the fireplace, looking up at her with as blank of an expression as I could manage.  
Mom, why didn t you tell me? And GraveRobbe- Terrance, I mean, UGH! I don t know what to call him anymore, Mom! I mean, I just kissed a guy who went out with you who knows how long ago! I m so confused I just- I think- I- I frustratedly held up the locket to the photo. Explain this to me mom! The pale painting merely continued to stare blankly at the wall, but then again, how could I expect anything different? I looked at the fireplace that GraveRobber had run thru before running to the tunnels that connected to my mother s tomb. I guess if I wanted answers from her, I d have to go and see her in person.  
Without another moment of hesitation, I turned and stalked out from my home, and into the tomb of my mother faster than I ever had before, clutching the pendant in my translucent fingertips.  
Mom, when! How! What the hell! I frustratedly interrogated my mother s tombstone, holding up the locket in a motion that should ve been reserved for punching someone in the gut. Things were quiet for a while, softer than the grave. Not even a single insect clicked its wings in earshot.  
You know, the dead don t answer back. Trust me, I d know. the deep voice cracked through my mother s silence as I snapped my vision over to the figure behind the bars of the door. Still angry though, I thrashed my arm back over so the locket once again.  
Why did you wait this long to let me know! I snarled ,pretty nastily I ll admit, the GraveRobber looking taken aback and a bit startled as he swung the metal door open. How did you expect me to tell you? Oh hi there, Shilo! I know we just met, but I dated your mom and I kind of have a thing for you! My name was Terrance but you can call me GraveRobber! Nice to meet ya, squirt! GraveRobber calmly answered me without hesitation, staring me in the eye expressionless. I swallowed hard. So he did have a thing for me. Fancy that. His boots clunked loudly as he entered my mother s tomb without permission and sat down. The locket still hung in my hand, faintly glimmering and dangling heavily. I stayed silent, I didn t know how to respond to this information.  
Kid, I m a number of years older than you. I dated your mom. When she was pregnant with you, she called me because she thought that I was the father. he awkwardly drawled out the information. If only I d remained conscious long enough to respond. 


	8. New Chapter (Sorry For The Delay!)

((Hey! Sorry guys, I know it's been a very very long time. I got a new computer, so I'm writing completely new things! Also, I turned seventeen recently, so my writing has changed a lot. Sorry for the delay~))

When I awoke this time, I was not met with the comfort of a bed, nor was I met with the smells of the dumpster I had napped slept in after the opera. I was met with nothing. Nothing but a darkness unlike any other- one without a single light, nor scent, nor a feel of a surrounding other than it was solid, and flat.

I blinked, and there was no difference between the darkness of my eyes being closed or open. I sat up, feeling the clinking of the metal locket I'd been holding just before looped around my neck. From what I could feel, the locket was closed, concealing the picture which had been permanently seared into my mind. The picture which now burdened my mind and the memory of which I had to carry, the burden of the picture alone was more than enough, and yet I couldn't help but imagine the burden of the memory the locket held for the GraveRobber. I tried stretching out my arms, seeking an edge or a surface other than the floor, finding nothing but a strong pain in my side.

Nothingness was the only word I could find to describe it. Nothingness. Was I nothing now? Had I become the poison's prisoner? Was this it?

"Hello?" I mumbled, my anxiety and of the darkness increasing, my senses groping for something. "Anyone?"  
"Kid?" a groan of semi-consciousness sounded some distance away, causing my heart to jump into my throat. I wasn't alone here.

"GraveRobber?!" I yelped.  
"Kid, how're you feeling?" the gruff voice muttered,

"My side really hurts. I can't see anything, can you?"  
"No. They darkened the room so you wouldn't wake from the lighting."

"Who darkened the room?" I shifted nervously, gulping. My throat was dry, and the burn in my side was really irritating me.

"I did." A light from a window revealed the silhouette of a woman before lighting flowed in from the ceiling. All of the walls, the floors, and the ceiling were completely blank, paper white. I squinted as my eyes adjusted. "GENtern Lila of GENECO's underground rehabilitation center."

She was a curly-haired brunette in a typical GENtern uniform, with empty white eyes veiled beneath her red mask, her lips a firm line. I frowned. She blinked. "Madame Sweet took care of the bill, her only message to you was 'Thanks for the company, there is no contract.' ."

GraveRobber groaned from behind me. I turned to look at him. His makeup was painted on again, his signature grave coat splaying behind him like a cape as he stay crouched in the corner.

"How did I get here?" I asked him, ignoring the GENtern, who stood stone-faced.

"I brought you here because I didn't know what to do when you started convulsing. I don't want you addicted to Z." he muttered back, staring at his mitt-like gloves like a little kid.

"Your wrist-monitor was continuing to inject your with the toxins, so we removed it as well as your appendix which was too far infected to stay." The woman spoke crisply as I turned back to her. "He dropped you on our doorstep and we took care of it. He has also stated he is going to be your guardian, so you are entrusted to his care, Miss Wallace. "

I nodded with a sigh. I was being left in the care of my mother's ex-boyfriend who had a thing for me. Joy. As though there wasn't enough on my mind already.

Lila handed GraveRobber a metal canister. "She takes two of these a day."

He nodded boredly and put it in one of the interior pockets of the coat, standing. "You ready to go, kid?"

I looked at the locket which dangled over my black shirt, unsure whether or not to take it off and put it in my pocket. I settled on leaving it there as I made ready to stand, but the GENtern hissed. "You're options are being carried, or being wheeled out."  
Without another moment or a word of decision, I was scooped gently into the arms of the drug dealer as though I was collapsed again, and taken through the door which had popped seemingly from nowhere on the white wall. It wove into a hallway with the same solid white surroundings to another door, but this one lead out to cobblestone steps leading upwards. GraveRobber carried me up the steps to find ourselves back in the alley where we had first met. I looked behind him to see the white door slamming behind us, disguised cleverly as another rusty, grime-covered wall.

"Alrighty, kid. Back to the house?" the blue-eyed zydrate dealer asked me quietly, commenting nothing towards my wearing the locket. I, in turn, nodded and commented nothing towards his bringing me to the company I'd watched be the downfall of my father as he began on the journey back to Wallace manor.


	9. Chapter 9

"GraveRobber." I called his attention as he walked, his huge boots thunking menacingly through the grime green alleyways, taking special care to dodge GENECops and junkies alike.

"Hm." He grunted, not looking down at me for a moment, calculating his next move with every step.

"Why did you make that noise when Lila brought up Amber's paying for my surgery?" I mumbled this especially quietly in case there were eavesdropping passerby's. The massive man sighed, making another noise under his breath. "See? You did it again. What happened?"

"IT'S THAT WALLACE KID!" a man with neon hair cut in all the wrong places, and bizarre clothes like all the others in main city, shouted, pointing furiously. Lights in surrounding windows of buildings lit up, and the pounding of footsteps sounded from not too far away.

"Shit. Time to run. Hang on, kid." GraveRobber took off running, bringing the worst bouncing I'd experienced in my life to consume my frame and the un-ignorable searing pain to dance on my incised side. I chewed my lip, wrapped my arms around his neck, and burrowed my face in his coat, which smelled significantly more like sex than I remembered it. There was a sharp turn and a descent behind a dumpster as the drug dealer sunk down to his knees, pulling me in closer to him, hearing the footsteps echo in another direction away from us.

"GraveRobber. You smell like sex." I commented plainly, looking up at him. GraveRobber seemed determined to keep his gaze fixated straight ahead, not looking down at me. "You had sex with Amber, didn't you."

"Shi-" he started with a sigh, sounding guilty.

"You had sex with Amber so she'd take care of the surgery." I snapped. I didn't even understand why I was upset, it wasn't something unusual for him to sleep with her, that much I knew. I noticed I'd balled my hands into fists behind his head then. "So she knows you're taking care of me."

"Kid I-"

"You just signed yourself up to be used against me- or for her to use me against you! Why would you do something so reckless? Why would you go off and do something like this?" I barked angrily, glaring up at him. The drug dealer's gaze snapped down to look at me, his ocean blue colliding with my auburn. All that could be read in his eyes was desperation for once…he'd never looked at me that way.

"I couldn't just let you die!" he growled, "I wasn't going to watch you die if there was something I could do about it. I've watched too many kids die. And if fucking around with that bitch will save your life, you're damn right I'd do it. What do you fucking know, it did."

I continued to stare at him hard, "It isn't like my life is of any significance to you anyhow. I've done nothing but be a burden and abused you for my own gain."

"If I was so pissed off with you and your condition, I'd have left already wouldn't I? What about a thanks for saving your goddamn life for once, huh kid?"

"Your being in love with me is doing you no good, GraveRobber. Being in love with you isn't doing me any good either."

The words had come out of my mouth before they'd crossed my mind for half a second. What did I just say? Was that really how I felt? Had I… been so focused on his feelings…and not noticed my own? I blinked at myself, looking down at the locket before looking back up to his painted face.

The huge drug dealer just stared, the desperation fading, his expression blank.

"A code green curfew is in effect. Return in doors. A code green curfew is in effect. Return in doors." The loudspeaker rang out all over the city and GraveRobber broke our staring contest, standing and sprinting down the path to my home. I whined at the pain in my side as he nudged the gate open, making his way up to the ornate door and clicking it open with the hand that had been supporting my back before returning it there and entering my home. I helped him out and closed it behind him.

"Where should I put you, Shi?"

"My room I guess." I muttered, not looking forward to it in the slightest. I'd spent much too much time in my room. But it didn't seem like there was any getting out of it this time. Up the stairs I was carried, until I was laid into my sheets. GraveRobber made his way to leave after he set me down, but again, words I hadn't thought about sang out "You're really going to leave me in here all alone?"


End file.
